


Out Damned Spot!

by TheDarkestDandelion



Series: TDD FFXV Rare Pair Collections [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Affairs, Afterlife, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Cheating, F/M, Guilt, Hand Washing, Hands, Insanity, Love, Mental Health Issues, Mentioned Ardyn Izunia, Minor Aera Mirus Fleuret/Ardyn Izunia, OCD, Pain, Past Murder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rare Pairings, Regret, Scratching, Secret Relationship, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Somnus Lucis Caelum Has Feelings Too, Somnus Lucis Caelum Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:08:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24397063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkestDandelion/pseuds/TheDarkestDandelion
Summary: Aera's death haunts Somnus.So much so that he can no longer look at his hands without seeing the blood of the woman he loved covering them.
Relationships: Aera Mirus Fleuret/Somnus Lucis Caelum
Series: TDD FFXV Rare Pair Collections [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759027
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Out Damned Spot!

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING!!! 
> 
> Clarification on the tag self-harm tag: Somnus is not self-harming intentionally, it is all subconsciously. He had no idea what he is doing at all half the time during this fic. I think I have made clear enough in the story but I just wanted to add this note and the tag in case anyone is triggered by it. 
> 
> I don't know I really like the idea of Somnus X Aera pairing. What would you call it? Somera? Aermnus? Anyway, maybe I like it because of how angsty this pairing could be. I just really like the pairing. (tbf I probably like it because I am a devote Cordyn shipper XD let's be real here guys!!) Also, I have this urge to write a string of rare pairs at the moment. I mean... I write Cordyn all the time and that is a rare pair.... oh well XD 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

It’s been five years. 

Five years to the day and it’s still there. It is always there. It never leaves and deep down Somnus knows it never will either. The hot fresh liquid solidified onto his hands the same day she was taken from this world and no matter what Somnus does, it won’t wash off. It will never wash off. It is stained onto him, just like the sin that they committed against Ardyn.

It was dirty and wrong what they did. It was shameful and deceitful. It was cruel and vile and beyond sinful. But they carried on because they enjoyed it. Both Somnus and Aera enjoyed the secret kisses they would plaster over each other's lips as they whispered sweet nothings to each other. They both enjoyed the warm bed they shared when Ardyn was not around. They enjoyed the sound of the other moaning as they made sweet love to each other. And Somnus… he fell in love with her. He fell in love with his brother’s fiancee and he could see that in her eyes, she loved him too. They loved each other but because of what Somnus did, it didn’t last. Their love was never meant to be in the first place. Instead it was forgotten, just like his brother, but the pain of his actions was still covering his hands. It had taken the form of her blood and he would never be rid of it. Her blood was on his hands. Always on his hands. Always. 

“Your Majesty.” 

Somnus looked up from his stained hands to see his Shield looking at him with concern. The King could tell that Gilgamesh pitied him. These past five years, there had been nothing but pity, regret and pain shared between the two. Some days, because of what they did to Ardyn and Aera, the pair could hardly look at each other. Thankfully, today was not one of those days. 

“They’re clean.” Gilgamesh stated, his voice trying to remain neutral but it was still filled with sorrow. “There is nothing on them. You are clean, My Liege.” 

Somnus nodded, before looking down at his hands again. 

Gilgamesh was wrong. So very wrong. For all Somnus could see was the blood of his beloved when he looked down at his hands and these past five years had not changed that. Nothing in this world could change that. No matter how many times he washed his hands it was still there. His marriage had not set him free from what he did, nor the birth of his first son, nor did the birth of his daughter. Nothing could take away this horrible feeling of dirt or the feeling of her blood coating his hands as he sat on his throne in shameful despair.

* * *

“Somnus, darling, you need to come away from the water now.”

“No.” 

The Founder King whispered harshly as he scrubbed his hands raw. He had to get it off. He had to get the blood off. But no matter how many times he scrubbed them the red was still there. No matter how many times he bathed them in boiling hot water, none of it would wash off. It would not budge. The sharp crimson had been taunting him for ten years now; refusing to move. Just like the images that plagued his dreams; of Aera collapsing to the floor and dying helplessly in the arms of his brother. It was all his fault! He did that! No one else! He killed the woman he loved… and now he was suffering for it. 

“My King… you are hurting yourself.” Pasithea said softly, gently holding onto his wrist so she could pull her husband away.

“No.” Somnus gritted his teeth, still scouring his hands thoroughly with a brittle brush, trying his hardest to get the flakes of blood out from under his nails. “It has to come off. It has to… It has too.” 

“You are making your hands bleed, my darling.” His wife stated, staring down at the bowl as streams of red dispersed into the body of water. 

“... I don’t care.” He replied with a single tear rolling down his face. “It has to come off… it has too. Please, let it come off. Please…” 

Pasithea simply did not understand. No one understood. No one understood how much pain it caused him to see the thick blood coat his hands. No one. Not a soul. And it just wouldn’t come off. It wouldn’t… it wouldn’t… it just wouldn’t…

* * *

Somnus lost count after twenty. This could have been the twenty first or fortieth time he had washed his hands today, he simply didn’t know. It didn’t matter to him that he was disrupting a council meeting, or if someone had requested an audience with him, he had to wash his hands. Each day the blood on his hands became harder to ignore. The images of his long lost lover flashed before his eyes and he started to panic. It made the urge to wash his hands become stronger and he had to do it. He just had to. 

“Your Majesty, for your own health I feel you must retire for the day.” Amasio Amicitia, Somnus’s new Shield, said as he placed a hand on his King’s shoulder. 

“No. Got to get it off. Got to get it off.” Somnus stuttered, rolling his shoulder to release the grip Amasio had on him. 

“There is nothing there, Your Majesty.” Amasio said in a steadier voice then before. “Remember? You had a long bath this morning. You are clean. You are safe. I promise.” 

“I am not clean!” Somnus shouted, knocking the bowl of water over in a fit of rage. “She is dead! It’s on me! It won’t come off Amasio! It won’t come off!” 

Somnus backed himself into a corner, wiping his unclean hands on his toga, praying that the roughness of the material would scrape away his sin. Get rid of the blood after all these years so he could be clean. So he could be sane again. 

The Mystic looked down at his hands and no such luck. Aera’s blood was still there. Somnus violently shook his head and screamed into the room, refusing to bring his hands to his face. He couldn’t bear to stain his face with her blood, all he could do was stare at them as he sunk to the floor in a screaming mess. 

Somnus started to violently scratch his hands and no one could get close to him. Amasio tried to provide him with comfort and tell him that the Queen’s passing was not his fault, (of course he had no idea that Somnus was screaming about the first Oracle’s death and not Pasithea) but his King wouldn’t listen to him. 

* * *

“Father?” Morpheus asked with concern, staring down at his father’s hands, as Somnus continued to scratch them ferociously. 

“Yes.” Somnus replied, looking at his son, still scratching, like he had been doing since they sat down together. Like his father always did. Like he had been doing for the past five years now, seemingly subconsciously. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Of course, I am. Why would you ask that?”

The Prince held his stare on his father’s hands, hoping that Somnus would understand why he was concerned without any words being said, but Somnus just shrugged his shoulders and carried on. Morpheus's eyes widened as he saw the skin on Somnus’s hands tear. Blood soon buried itself under his nails and it stuck to his fingertips. And still Somnus would not stop scratching. 

Morpheus placed a hand on top of Somnus’s, to stop his anxious and harmful behaviour, before forcing their eyes to meet. “Father. Stop. You need to stop that now.” 

“What? What are you on about? I am not doing anything.” Somnus said cluelessly, pulling away from his son’s touch like it was fire. 

“Look at your hands.” 

“My.. My hands…” 

Somnus’s gaze fell to his hands and to his horror all he could see was the precious liquid of life gushing out of his body and he fell into a state of shock. Morpheus could see it too. He could see what he did to Aera too. 

The King wept. 

That very day Morpheus was crown Prince Regent.

* * *

Another five years had passed and Somnus’s health only deteriorated. 

Even on the King’s death bed, where he was surrounded by all five of his children, his grandchildren, his Shield and his closest friends; Somnus was scratching his hands and demanding that they be washed. Claiming that he needed to get the blood off, that he needed to wash his sins away and that he didn’t mean to cause her pain. That he loved her and he never meant to cause any pain to anyone. Somnus even called out for Ardyn to beg for his forgiveness for everything that had transpired between the two. He got no reply. He never got a reply when he called out for his long lost brother, who had also descended into madness. Just like Aera’s death, Ardyn’s mental state was Somnus’s fault. He only had himself to blame. 

Somnus was dead before dawn broke and the Kingdom of Lucis mourned their Founder King.

* * *

“Somnus…”

Somnus opened his eyes at the sound of his name and it was her voice. He spun around and saw her standing there, smiling brightly at him as the pair stood in a field of blue sylleblossoms. In that beautiful white gown. For the first time in years, there was no red in sight. 

“Aera…” Somnus said breathlessly, daring not to move closer to her. This… this wasn’t real. Was it? He was dead and so was she. Was this the afterlife? 

Because he refused to move, she came to him.

He stood still on his spot, staring at her as she took a hold of his hands and brought them to her lips. Tenderly kissed them like she used to. As his hands came into view, there was no red. They were his hands and the love of his life was holding them once more. 

“Somnus, it’s okay.” Aera nodded, staring at him only with love. “It was an accident and I forgive you.”

Somnus gingerly took one hand out of hers and carefully placed it to her cheek. The Oracle- No! His Oracle, leant into his touch and continued to smile softly at him as she continued to kiss his hand. Somnus ran his thumb along his cheek and he couldn’t help but tear up. 

“Aera… I… I am so sorry. I never meant to..” 

“Shh, shh, shh. I know.”

Somnus rested his head against Aera’s and held her close. He missed this so much. There was so much regret surging through him, but to know that she forgave him… it felt like Eos had finally been taken off his shoulders and he was finally with her again. They were together again. 

The King whispered softly: “I love you my darling. I am so sorry.” 

“I love you too, and you are forgiven. You have always had my forgiveness.” 

The pair pulled away from each other slightly just enough so Somnus could lower his lips down to Aera’s and their lips met like they had done so many times before. 

Finally, finally, Somnus could rest.

And he could rest with her. 


End file.
